Maternity care and support - A summary of lived experience
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This briefing has been produced to inform continued debate and service improvement regarding maternity care in Suffolk. It is a general summary of patient experience recorded by Healthwatch Suffolk during February 2023 - 24th March 2024.
There is an overall uplift in positive sentiment evident across the feedback since Healthwatch Suffolk's briefing about people’s experiences of maternity care between 2021 and 2022. Although the proportion of entirely positive reviews has not increased significantly, there is a much greater frequency of mixed comments that include praise for services (particularly staff). Entirely negative reviews have declined somewhat because of this trend in the data.
The report looks at:
Interaction with staff
Accessing services
Staff knowledge, communication and advice
Involvement in care and decision making
Post natal care and support with feeding
Waiting times
Digital support
Continuity of care
Mental health and wellbeing
Birth partners